Some of it is a little outdated at this point, but still lots of really good information & tips, & written in a highly amusing & easy-to-rSome of it is a little outdated at this point, but still lots of really good information & tips, & written in a highly amusing & easy-to-read style. Especially good for people just getting started, I think. If you've been running for a while, there probably isn't as much that will be all that new....more

Are you tired of being told that your aches / paints / injuries / etc. will go away if you "just do more yoga / strength work / stretch more"? Do youAre you tired of being told that your aches / paints / injuries / etc. will go away if you "just do more yoga / strength work / stretch more"? Do you feel like you're just cobbling together a mix of common sense & pseudo-science & hoping for the best without any clear idea of what is *actually* causing your problems and what is *actually* likely to fix things?

If so, you might at the very least find this book interesting. Starrett's philosophy is that “All human beings should be able to perform basic maintenance on themselves,” which I can definitely get behind. Relying on doctors & PTs & trainers & whatnot to diagnose & fix every little ache & pain that comes up is just not tenable in the long-term.

This book is for:

* Athletes who have been hurt* Athletes who think they might be getting hurt* Athletes who would like to not get hurt* Athletes who want to perform better at their sport* People who move their bodies* People who want to keep moving their bodies happily for as long as possible

By way of explaining the title:

"When I was fourteen I watched 'Gallipoli,' a World War I movie about two Australian sprinters going off to war, with my dad. There's a memorable scene in the beginning of the movie in which Archy, a rising track star, is being trained by his uncle Jack. The pep talk goes something like this:

Jack: What are your legsArchy: Springs. Steel springs.Jack: What are they going to do?Archy: Hurl me down the track.Jack: How fast can you run?Archy: As fast as a leopard.Jack: How fast are you going to run?Arch: As fast as a leopard!

"For whatever reason, the 'fast as a leopard' mantra stuck with me. But it wasn't until a Navy SEAL buddy of mine said to me, "You know, Kelly, a leopard never stretches' that this notion of becoming a supple leopard drifted into my consciousness

"Of course a leopard doesn't stretch. A leopard has full physical capacity available at all times. It can attack and defend with full power at any moment. Unlike humans it doesn't need to prep for movement. It doesn't need to activate its glutes; it doesn't have to foam-roll; it doesn't have to raise its core temperature--it's just ready.

...

Metaphorically speaking, if you want to become a supple leopard, you need to understand how to move correctly in all situations. You also need the tools to deal with stiff and adaptively short tissues that restrict range-of-motion. This is the basis of my movement and mobility system."

At nearly 400 pages, it is a hefty tome, but it's also well- (and entertainingly) written, medically & scientifically precise without being overly technical, easy to read & follow, & filled with lots of pictures showing The Right Things and The Wrong Things pretty clearly. Also, it's clearly designed with average people who work at desk jobs & drive in cars in mind as much as more competitive / serious athletes.

Parts of it I think are designed to just be read, and other parts of it are designed as reference material. I would recommend reading Chapters 1-4, 6, & the first 20 pages or so of 7. Chapter 5 & most of 7 I think can be consulted as needed. Look at particular sections of Chapter 5 ("Movement Hierarchy") as you are working on each particular movement (air squat, jumping & landing, push-ups, etc.), & whatever specific sections of Chapter 7 pertain to your problem areas in terms of tightness / injury / lack of mobility / whatever.

Coach Starrett also has TONS of videos & other references on his mobility WOD website, so those make great follow-up materials as well....more

Probably the most useful & straightforward book I've ever read about nutrition specific to runners. Also, lots of great information that I hadn'tProbably the most useful & straightforward book I've ever read about nutrition specific to runners. Also, lots of great information that I hadn't seen before. Best of all, everything is based on current scientific evidence, not folk wisdom or outdated facts "everybody knows" from fifteen years ago. I doubt I will ever be even remotely perfect about my nutrition, but now I at least feel like I have a logical framework on which to hang my pitiful attempts....more